Prayagraj: 58 more inmates in Covid grip, Naini jail tally now 142

PRAYAGRAJ: Naini central jail’s Covid-19 caseload shot up to 142 as 58 more inmates were diagnosed with the disease on Thursday. The inmates were tested via rapid antigen test kits.
Senior superintendent of Naini central jail PN Pandey said, “A team of health department officials had conducted tests of 397 inmates and 58 of them tested positive for Covid-19.”
By late Wednesday evening, 40 inmates had tested positive for Covid-19 and the number had surged to 58 on Thursday. Before this, three prisoners were diagnosed with the disease on August 23.
“Till now, samples of 1,712 inmates have been collected for testing. Of these, 142 have tested positive for the infection,” he added. Pandey said that the testing drive started about a week back. Currently, around 4,700 inmates are lodged at Naini central jail in different circles.
The senior superintendent said that two big barracks inside the jail have been turned into isolation centres, where the inmates are undergoing treatment. He said that health department has also deployed a team of medical and paramedical staff for the infected inmates. The inmates, who complain of serious complications, would be shifted to Covid-19 hospitals.
“We have set up a Covid care centre within the jail and all facilities mandated by the guidelines are being provided to the inmates who tested Covid-19 positive. We have sanitised the jail and are monitoring the situation,” said a senior health official.
Meanwhile, a senior police official said,“ It will be challenging to keep these inmates outside the jail as making security arrangements for such a large number of prisoners would be difficult. Two barracks have been turned into a Covid care centre-cum-hospital for the treatment of inmates.”